NEW MUSIC FROM WOLFHEART, CASTEVET, VULTURE INDUSTRIES, AND VATTNET VISKAR

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  16 Responses »
Aug 202013
 

As you may have surmised if you read today’s first post, I was immersed in live metal from about 3 p.m. yesterday afternoon until late last night. But before the immersion began, I found some new things while stumbling through the interhole yesterday that I thought were worth some attention, and here they be:

WOLFHEART

Way back in January, we reported the bombshell news that Tuomas Saukkonen had decided to shut down all of his previous musical projects — Before The Dawn, Black Sun Aeon, Routasielu, Dawn Of Solace, and Final Harvest — and start a completely new one under the name Wolfheart. At the same time, he released a teaser of new Wolfheart music. And yesterday he released another one, along with info about the new Wolfheart album, including the ethereal cover art by Heino Brandt (above).

The album’s name is Winterborn and it includes 9 tracks, except that if you pre-order the album now you’ll get a download code for two bonus tracks that will accompany the CD when it ships. The release date is October 11.  Continue reading »

TODAY, ULVER SELF-RELEASED A NEW ALBUM

 Exceptions to the Rule, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  11 Responses »
Aug 182013
 

This is a surprising piece of news about a band who seem to specialize in surprises. Norway’s Ulver have changed their sound dramatically over the years, losing and gaining different groups of fans as their music has changed. Their latest album (their 12th) is named Messe I.X–VI.X. We’ve been expecting it, but the delivery came today in a way we didn’t expect. Here’s the full text of the message that appeared this morning on Ulver’s official site (and thank you BadWolf for the tip about this):

GLOOMY SUNDAY

Dear parish, as CDs are airborne – and leakage is imminent – we have decided to accelerate the digital release on our own platforms. We have held back as long as we can. Messe I.X–VI.X is now available from our webshop and Bandcamp. Just like that.

Again: we urge all conscientious music lovers to purchase digital from our platforms. WAV and all other formats at Bandcamp, 320 kbps MP3 via our webshop. Spotify and iTunes will follow in September, along with the release of Kscope’s standard editions.

Please share and spread the word. We hope you enjoy the somber sound of the wolves’ mass.

Ulver, Oslo, August 18 2013. Continue reading »

ONE STAYS, ONE GOES

 Metal News, Mosh Pit  6 Responses »
Aug 182013
 

(photo credit: Jessie Rose)

I read a couple of things recently that I thought were worth passing on. One is funny, one is thought-provoking and a bit surprising. One is about a band who unexpectedly broke up, one is about a band who just keep going and going. We’ll start with the latter one first.

MELVINS

This piece is the funny one. Melvins were formed way back in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Buzz Osborne, bass-player Matt Lukin, and drummer Mike Dillard, who were all schoolmates in Montesano, Washington. Dale Crover came on board in place of Mike Dillard in ’84, though Dillard came back to the band more than 20 years later and he will be appearing on their 30th anniversary album Tres Cabrones, which is due in November (with Crover moving over to bass for that record).

The band have had a changing cast of bass players. I count six since the band performed, with Jared Warren being the most recent, and that’s not counting about six more who have toured with the band but weren’t present on recordings. Yet with Osborne and Crover in place for nearly 30 years, Melvins are one of those rare bands who’ve stayed the course through life’s ups and downs.

A few days ago Dale Crover revealed the secrets of Melvins’ longevity for a Portland (Oregon) publication called Willamette Week. “Top Five Tips For Keeping A Band Together 30 Years” is a short read, so I’m going to paste it right here: Continue reading »

NEW DEATH/DOOM DESTRUCTION FROM INTO DARKNESS

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  6 Responses »
Aug 162013
 

 

Last November, as part of a MISCELLANY post (here), I made an impromptu review of the self-titled debut demo by an Italian band named Into Darkness. I tend to get carried away on a daily basis with bouts of metal enthusiasm, and I called that demo “one of the best death/doom releases of 2012“. But even after I calmed down as time passed, I still felt that way.

Today I discovered two new songs from Into Darkness. One, which has just been uploaded to YouTube, is named “Dreadful Omen of A Dark Millenium”. It will be included on a forthcoming 7″ EP. The second, “Shifted To the Red End of the Spectrum”, is also destined for future release on the EP or on a vinyl split, and it’s streaming on Bandcamp. These are two of four songs the band recorded earlier this year that are being released in “rough, unedited” form on pro-tape under the name Cosmic Chaos by an Italian label named Unholy Domain Records.

The two new songs are convincing evidence that Into Darkness are a band whose every release is going to be must-listen music for devoted fans of death/doom. Speaking of devotion, there’s a lot of old-school worship in the music, with strong reminders of both Incantation and Asphyx (and the latter, especially because of the resemblance of Doomed Warrior’s vocals to those of Martin van Drunen). Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER GOING ON TOUR IN NASTY COMPANY; TURBOCHARGED DELIVER “CHRISTCRAWLER”; AND MOTH GIVE “DISSOLVED” THE VIDEO TREATMENT

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  3 Responses »
Aug 142013
 

I’m still catching up on what has happened in the world of metal since yesterday. Here are a few more items worth talking about.

INTO THE EVERBLACK 2013

A bit earlier today I wrote about the latest artwork, news, and music concerning the new Skeletonwitch album. If I’d just waited an hour, I could have included the fact that Skeletonwitch are embarking on a North American tour this fall with The Black Dahlia Murder (as the headliner) and Fallujah. And on selected dates, that group of miscreants will be joined by Wolvhammer (who are vicious killers in their own right) or Noisem (also murderous).

This is going to be one very fine evening in the pit of musical hell. Unfortunately, it appears I will have to get in the car to visit hell, because the tour isn’t going to hit Seattle. To see if it will threaten your town, check the schedule after the jump. Continue reading »

RIVERS OF NIHIL ALBUM ART (PLUS A NEW LIVE TRACK) AND A NEW SONG FROM DANZIG

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  4 Responses »
Aug 132013
 

Here are a few things I saw and heard last night that I thought might be of interest.

RIVERS OF NIHIL

We’ve been following Pennsylvania’s Rivers of Nihil since all the way back in January 2012. Last December we reported that they had signed to Metal Blade Records and would be recording their full-length debut for the label with Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal) at Mana Recording Studios in March. We also streamed a demo version of a new song that will appear on the album named “Rain Eater”.

Yesterday we got a good look at the album’s cover by veteran metal artist Dan Seagrave, and it’s quite the eye-catcher, don’t you think? We also got the album’s name (The Conscious Seed of Light) and the release date: October 15.

On July22 , the band played one of the new tracks — “A Fertile Altar” — live at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn, and it was caught on video. The sound quality is good and the song rocks hard. Check it out next. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: ELIRAN KANTOR / KATAKLYSM, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, AND BONE DANCE

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  7 Responses »
Aug 122013
 

A few quick hits for you from my own quick spin through my e-mail and the interhole this afternoon.

ELIRAN KANTOR AND KATAKLYSM

Last week we brought you some news about the next album by Canada’s Kataklysm, Waiting For the End To Come, including the artwork for the CD. I thought the artwork was okay, but it didn’t elevate my pulse rate. HOWEVER, the artwork previously revealed is only for the standard jewel case version of the CD and a limited edition cassette tape of the album. There is an alternate cover for “the deluxe digipak” and the LP versions of the album, and you’re looking at it.

No disrespect intended to Peter Sallai, but I find this creation by the stellar Eliran Kantor much more appealing. It reminds me of what a collaboration between John Martin and Gustave Doré might have produced. Love it! Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: RUSSIAN CIRCLES, BLACK TABLE, AND A JENSEN-ENGLUND (THE HAUNTED) GUITAR PLAYTHROUGH

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  14 Responses »
Aug 092013
 

Here’s a collection of recommended things that caught my eyes and ears over the last 24 hours.

RUSSIAN CIRCLES

My introduction to Chicago’s Russian Circles came at a live show in Seattle a few years ago, and I was sold, fast. Their fifth album, Memorial, is due on October 29 via Sargent House. Long way off, but based on a track that premiered yesterday at Pitchfork it’s a date worth remembering.

For anyone who still thinks instrumental “post rock” doesn’t pack enough visceral kick to shake your skeleton from skull to tarsus, listen to “Deficit”. Man, it’s a heavy beast. It sets a doomy tone with a moving wall of guitar noise and a hypnotic drumbeat at the outset. The intensity builds from there, and beginning at the 3:00 mark it’s fuckin’ headbang city all the way forward (accompanied by a memorable chiming melody). Listen to “Deficit” below all these links. Continue reading »

BLOODSTOCK 2013: LIVE STREAM NOW!

 Metal News  5 Responses »
Aug 092013
 

If you can’t be in Derbyshire, England this weekend for one of the world’s biggest metal festivals, fret not, because many of the main stage band sets at BLOODSTOCK will be streamed live through the interhole.  According to the festival, the streams will begin running at 11 a.m. local time in the UK (which is 3 a.m. here in the glorious Pacific Northwest) starting today (Friday, Aug 9) and going through Sunday, August 11. In fact, it’s happening right fucking now!

The screen cap up above lists just a few of the bands scheduled to play the main stage at this year’s edition of the festival. The stream is available at this location — but I’ve also embedded it right after the jump:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x12kc97_live-steam-bloodstock-festival-2013_music

The full line-up can be found here. What are you waiting for? Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: SHINING (SWEDEN), KATAKLYSM, THE RUINS OF BEVERAST, ARMAGEDON

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  5 Responses »
Aug 082013
 

Here’s the promised second part of today’s effort to catch up on noteworthy new things from the last several days.

SHINING

Sweden’s Shining announced a while back that their next album, 8 ½ – Feberdrömmar I Vaket Tillstånd (scheduled for release by Dark Essence on Sept 23), would feature many guest vocalists, in addition to frontman Niklas Kvarforth of course. As of today, we know who they are, and it’s an interesting list that includes more than a few black metal luminaries:

1. “Terres Des Anonymes” featuring FAMINE of PESTE NOIRE
2. “Szabadulj Meg Önmagadtól” featuring ATTILA CSIHAR of MAYHEM, TORMENTOR
3. “Ett Liv Utan Mening” featuring PEHR LARSSON of ALFAHANNE
4. “Selvdestruktivitetens Emissarie” featuring GAAHL of GOD SEED, WARDRUNA, ex-GORGOROTH
5. “Black Industrial Misery” featuring MANIAC of SKITLIV, ex-MAYHEM
6. “Through Corridors Of Oppression” featuring KVARFORTH

The songs themselves date back to an earlier era in Shining’s life. Original pre-production tracks of the songs were used as the foundation, with the addition of newly recorded bass and guitars as well as keyboards performed by Lars Fredrik Fröslie (Angst Skvadron, Wobbler, Asmegin). Should be worth checking out when it arrives. Continue reading »

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